Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/150396
Linked In or Left Out YouTube. We have almost 100,000 members within our Facebook community, and have just launched an external blog titled Inside EA. We keep on discovering better ways to connect to our prospects, candidates, and employees." This will come as no surprise to the vast majority of computer graphics professionals, but a social networking presence is absolutely required in today's job-seeking environment. Every recruiter who Computer Graphics World/Post spoke to, with no exceptions, maintains that he or she uses social networking sites in order to advertise jobs and seek candidates, and the vast majority calls them "vital tools." While Facebook (www.facebook.com) is an important component of the CG studio-hiring environment, the platform of choice is, overwhelmingly, LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). Here are some representative quotes from recruiters: Cindy Nicola, vice president of global talent acquisition for Electronic Arts, says she has had incredible success with social networking. "We are on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and "We frequently use LinkedIn to announce positions and events, and we also publically publish our contact details." –Lori Beck, Recruiter, Industrial Light & Magic Thanks to its close ties with schools, EA is committed to hiring interns and new grads. EA also has a strong intern and new-grad hiring program. According to Nicola, "Our university partnerships and the talent they produce are key components of our overall talent strategy, and we are deeply committed to hiring interns and new graduates across EA." She estimates that EA hires a few hundred interns each year, converting a high percentage of those who are students to more permanent status after they graduate. Sony Pictures Animation also works with schools and universities to ensure a stream of fresh talent. facility might bring some lessexperienced VFX artists. For tight deadlines, she says, "we require experienced artists with the knowledge and know-how to produce under stressful conditions." Lumière does offer three-month paid internships to the top talent from certain VFX graduating classes, she says. "The internship gives the selected graduates a chance to get some experience, and in doing so, we've found some talented artists that have continued on as permanent employees," she adds. At ILM, recent grads may be hired for entry-level positions, such as technical assistant or production assistant, says Beck. And occasionally, newbies may have the chance to help fill out the roster when large numbers of animators, modelers, or painters are needed, for example. At Double Negative in the UK, "we're extremely keen on bringing in a broad range of graduates from all over Europe," says Acock. "We spend a significant amount of time building relationships with course leaders, traveling to universities to do presentations and master classes, as well as bringing in students for talks and tours of the facility." At Lumière in Canada, student hires occur depending on the project, says Zervos. For long projects that allow for a learning curve, the 20 Rhythm & Hues is especially pro-student. "We're one of those companies that will hire a lot of kids out of school," says McCullough. The studio offers apprentice programs to recent graduates (who must definitely be out of school, she cautions, so as to be able to concentrate fully on the work). She likens these apprenticeships—which may center on a variety of areas, such as animation, compositing, or even a specific software program like Side Effects' Houdini—to boot camp. At the end of the program, Rhythm & Hues hires 97 to 98 percent of the participants on a project basis. So even though they're competing with more experienced artists this year, college graduates shouldn't fret too much. Many studios like a mix